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10/7/13

Rugs, Pilows... and a basement in shambles.

Hello and happy Monday to you all! So today I figured we'd start the week together with another little huge home update post.
I did one of these type of posts weeks back and you guys seemed to like it, so here we are again! I share specific home posts here and there, but this type is more collective. Some updates about what we're planning, progress we've made, some new purchases, etc. Basically, it's just what's going on around here.
I could probably space these out into a ton of tiny unnecessarily specific posts, but since nothing is too groundbreaking, I thought we'd just go crazy and discuss all of it.
Let's party.

So we're talking a lot about rugs. I'm a big believer in them. They protect your floors, make a space feel cozy, and add another decorative element to a room. There are so many rug styles out there. When you select one for your space, it really is a unique expression of your style. It makes your room look totally different and more "you". They can be expensive, but I always find mine either on sale or from affordable places. Plus, you'll keep a nice rug forever.

Alright so you may remember in the last update post, I updated our breakfast nook in the kitchen with my grandmother's antique pedestal table and some really pretty and unique "Kubu" chairs. Not so updated and pretty? The rectangular rug. Let's reflect....

Totally worked with the old rectangular table, but not so much with the round. The rug has since moved to the basement with the old table. We'll get to that in a moment...

And here's the new one!

I love the pretty quatrefoil design and the contrast. I'm big on contrast. Our kitchen so far? Lacking a lot of it. So I thought this rug added a pretty modern/glam element to the antique table and the more subdued tone-on-tone feel of the kitchen. Like I've said so many times, my style is all about mixing it up to create a nice balance. So far, we're loving this rug! I got it from Overstock.

Speaking of new rugs, let's move on to the front "formal" living room/office. It lived without an area rug for 6 months. Funny enough, we never really used the space. Of course, we'd use my little office corner of the room for the printer and other office-y tasks (I also like to take photos of makeup/products on the desk in there), but it lacked the cozy feeling that a sitting/living room should feel.

For actual "living", we use our big family room.

For such a huge and lofty room, it feels super cozy because of the rug (scored years ago from the Pottery Barn outlet). So it's no surprise that when the new rug went down in the living room, we started hanging out in there a lot more. Funny how a cozy rug will do that.

Here she is...

Much more inviting, huh? The desk/my office space is to the right in this photo directly across from the white love seat.
This rug is fab. I had been lusting over a rug in this style since we lived in our last house. I could just never find one that was affordable and didn't look cheap or old and worn out already. This one is perfect. I especially love the chunky braided fringe on the ends. Makes it feel a little more special. This beauty was a find from Rugs USA.

While rugs are a pretty large item that makes a huge impact on a room, smaller items in a fun fabric can really freshen up a space and change the whole feel. Like these little precious pillows I had made for our bedroom.

I've always loved this fabric and it seems to be popping up all over the place now. I plan on using these year-round. They give the same fresh feel as having a pretty green plant in a room.

Kate Spade has similar ones for a ridiculous price. To me, I'd rather pick a pretty fabric myself and have something unique (and save some $).

I think they changed the whole feel of the room. To me, nothing is better in a bedroom than a white fluffy bed- white bedding, black accents (again, with my love of contrast), light walls, and dark wood. It just feels fresh and comfortable and since a bedroom is such a personal space, it gives you the option of changing up the whole feel of the room in a second on the cheap by adding a colorful throw or fun pillows.

So speaking of rugs, I almost forgot about another one that's recently made it's way in. I've never really settled on one I love for the foyer. The zebra one I showed the last time I updated you on the foyer ended up looking a bit cheap in there (it was literally like $40 and I've had it for 7 years...). With all the constant vacuuming (Waylon's hair), it just wasn't holding up well. So I ordered something different for it. It arrived and while I loved the rug, I hated it in the foyer. So I brought up a round one from the basement temporarily (I'm still on the hunt for a perfect one), but it totally works for now. The point of all that? The one I ordered that didn't really work with the foyer works perfectly in the basement.

I haven't shared many (any?) pics of the basement. It's a total work in progress. Even more so than any other space. It has a darker, more masculine feel. Nothing on the walls yet... I'm still trying to feel it out.

This is the little living area down there and the new rug that made it feel much cozier.

These pics are not the best- It's so hard to photograph that room. But the rug has a vintage, faded feel and is very velvety with a bit of a sheen. This one was another really affordable Overstock find.

Oh and speaking of the old kitchen table and rug, here they are...

The table and chairs were actually in the garage sale pile, until we realized it makes a great game/craft table in the little bar area. We have some BIG plans for this area! We'd also like to install a pretty industrial light fixture above the table eventually.

Oh, and for the sake of keeping it real (and speaking of garage sale piles)...

This is also what has been going on around here. MAJOR cleaning out. This room is huge and often completely empty. We're thinking of making it into a game room. Brad's media room is beyond this room through the doorway on the back wall and the doorway in the right wall of the room leads to a workout area and some major storage... Which is where we pulled all of this out of. There's a method to this mess... The stuff on the right behind the little wall is the garage sale pile, the stuff in the middle (boxes, etc) is trash/recycling, and the stuff in the back left is ALL of our holiday stuff. We're talking Christmas, Fall, Spring, Halloween, etc... It's not as much as it looks. But I basically made it a point to clean out everything before the holidays really roll around this year because I know we'll be getting a HUGE tree that will need storage space of it's own, and I just didn't want to keep things we didn't need.
So the plan is to put all of the holiday stuff in another big storage area we have in the back of the media room. Just so that the work out room doesn't start overflowing with holiday crap.

So it's a total work in progress around here. Tonight, the goal is to have the room looking like this again...

Something tells me Waylon won't be very helpful... ;)

So what's going on around your house? Anyone else in a major cleaning out mood like I am?

I LOVE your house posts, they're actually my favorite. Thank you for sharing, can't wait to see all the changes you make, and with the holidays coming I can't WAIT to see how you decorate for the holidays.

I love all the house post. Whether its' decor, holiday, etc...I love it all. We are trying to clean out our second bedroom to get ready for baby which will be here February 8th. Working progress, but just have to keep my husband motivated. Question, do you have any fireplaces in your new home? I am trying to get ideas for my mental and I am finding nothing. I love your decor, simple and clean, but fashion forward!

Thank you Lindsey! Congrats on your Feb. baby!! There is a peek of our fireplace in this post (in the family room). We have our tv mounted above ours so that definitely limits what I can put up there, but for the most part, I like to keep it simple.

I honestly think if you decide to go in a different direction from makeup you would make a kick ass interior designer. You give me great inspiration on how to update my house without just picking the "set up" in a store. Can't wait to see your Halloween decorations x

Your house looks beautiful so far. Every area you are working on turns out to be so pretty after the makeover. It all starts to make sense and looks pulled together. Thank you for taking us with you on this journey and sharing your ideas, DIY and your reasoning why you do what. It helps a lot and already gave me some good inspiration to redocorate areas in our house that I am not totally happy with. I don't know where you get your inspiration, but I get mine from you :). xoxo

Love these posts Tiffany! They're extremely helpful. My husband and I just decided that we are going to stay in our rental and California for a few more years before we move back to the mid-west, so we've decided that we're going to finally invest in some real furniture and not just Ikea stuff and your home is such an inspiration.

Without question, your home is lovely and yet very comfortable. But what I found funny was all the talk about rugs and there way Waylan chilling on a pillowed chair. He is the best! Thanks for sharing.

Hi there! I am new today and I think you are absolutely adorable. It's also amazing how similar our tastes are as well. I have a mix of very modern with mid-century things and alot of textures. To give you an example...my dining room table is a round pedestal table that had these really modern chairs with it that I hated, but I loved the table...it seats 8! It took me 8 months to look for the perfect chairs, that no one else has!! Right now, I have been on a total house organization project. First the garage, then my husbands closet, the guest bathroom and now my closet room!! I am going to turn a spare guest room into my closet (I found you looking for ideas). I need to purge out of the master bedroom closet...AAArrrgghhhh!!! I have gotten a lot of tips from you. Thank you

Hi Tiffany! LOVE reading everything on your blog. I have been looking for a rug like the new one from overstock in your kitchen and I can't find it anywhere on the website. Could you please help with a name or something? Much appreciated :)

The family photos are on the bookshelf in the family room- we have 4 of brad and I and a few of Waylon ;) There is a long black frame in the hallway from the foyer toward the family room with several of our wedding photos. Upstairs, we have a lot on our dresser in our bedroom too ;) The ottoman was a lucky find at the Ballard outlet in atlanta.

Tiffany I just started following your blog and now youtube channel Organized Jen has me hooked on you. I love what you've done with your home it is absolutely GORGEOUS! You use a lot of textures, colors and patterns I hope to incorporate into my own home. It is beautiful I look forward to seeing what you do with that space in the basement.

Hi Tiffany, I was just wondering if you could tell me where you bought that stunning banana leaf fabric your pillows are made from? I have been looking online for this fabric and cannot find it.Thank you

Everything is gorgeous - your house is so stunning. I love that first photo with the new design. Everything looks so beautiful and cozy also. Chairs and sofa looks so inviting and comfortable. Love the bed too! :)